Frosted Petals
by SerpentHawk
Summary: Weiss has changed a lot in her first few months at Beacon. Ruby seems to have grown up a lot too. What does this mean for their relationship? Is the newer, kinder Weiss finally ready to admit that the new Ruby could mean a lot more to her than a partner, or even a friend?
1. Chapter One: Dawn Over a New Day

**Author's Note: Howdy, boys and girls! This is my first submission to FanFiction, but certainly not my first time around the block. I wasn't entirely sure where this fic was going when I started it, so I hope it doesn't show too much. I know that no one really reads these things, so I'll try to keep the notes to a minimum, but I just wanted to lay some ground rules. Firstly, I welcome criticism. Really, I do. Just please don't be mean about it. I already beat myself up over the stuff that I write, so I don't need your help to tell me I suck. Honestly, though, please let me know if something doesn't seem right. I'd be happy to discuss it with you and make the appropriate revisions. Secondly, this is in U.K. English. Sorry. That means a "y" in "pyjamas", an "i" in "aluminium", and "u"s in pretty much every word with an "o". Fair warning. Finally, please tell me if any specific part of this story seems too much like any other Fan Fictions. I tend to draw inspiration from my fellow writers, but I would never want to rip them off. I'm not in the practice of plagiarizing, just... ...stealing. Yeah, that's the word. Stealing. Seriously though, I don't want to ride on anyone's coattails, so please let me know if I unintentionally copied someone else's work. (However, please note that if I haven't read the fic you cite, I'm not changing anything. I'm not going to make rewrites because of coincidences, I'm only going to fix things that may seem too closely related to something I've actually read before.) I will be uploading chapters sporadically as I feel comfortable with them. Don't worry, I'm several chapters ahead at this point, I just want to be sure I'm done revising them before I continue to make them public. Anyway, without further ado: Chapter One, everybody!**

* * *

Sunlight streamed through a crack between the curtains, hitting Weiss' face directly. Her eyelids fluttered open and darted to the wall clock that hung above the door. Six-thirty a.m. Although it was only a Saturday, Weiss still felt the need to get up early and make herself look presentable before the day began. She gently rose from her bed, delicately placing her bare feet on the floor. She stood up, careful not to hit her head on the bunk above where her teammate Ruby was gently snoring. She glanced at the other set of bunk beds where Yang and Blake slept. The bottom bunk was empty. Blake was a well-known early riser; she must already be up, most likely scaling a wall or tower to find a good place for reading. Weiss shook her head. How no one had realized Blake was a Faunus was beyond her. Now that they knew, her every behaviour was obviously catlike.

Weiss stepped into Team RWBY's washroom and flicked on the lights. Peering into the mirror, her fingers traced the jagged scar over her left eye. It was the only blemish on an otherwise flawless appearance. Scratch that- almost flawless. There was a small pimple directly in the centre of her forehead. Simply unacceptable. She immediately put an end to its pathetic lifespan with a good squeeze. She reached for her assigned drawer under the sink and retrieved her canister of pimple cream. When she decided that the blemish had been satisfactorily smothered, she placed the canister back in its place in the drawer and stripped off her pyjamas. As they travelled down the laundry chute, she again glanced at herself in the mirror. Years of corsets and warrior training had whittled her waist down to a princess-perfect figure, although she wished her chest carried a bit more weight. Despite being two years younger, Ruby was quickly catching up with her, and her sister Yang was downright bodacious. She wasn't bitter, though. Weiss wouldn't allow herself to be shallow enough to be jealous of others' appearances.

Removing the thought from her mind, she stepped into the shower and let the hot water run down her shoulders. Instinctively grabbing the bottle to her right, she began to shampoo her hair. Immediately, she realized her mistake. Rather than her signature vanilla-peppermint blend, the shampoo was scented like strawberries. Curses! This was Ruby's shampoo. How many times had Weiss told her not to put the bottles next to each other? She reached for her own to correct the mistake, and then stopped. As much as she loved her usual scent, she found Ruby's… pleasurable, almost intoxicating. The scent of strawberries was strong upon her, and she was reluctant to let it go. She decided to leave her hair the way it was for the day. Instead, she began to lather her skin with the expensive soaps she had sent to her at Beacon. A strange feeling swelled up inside her. Usually, Weiss kept her musicality private; she was too embarrassed to sing in public. But today, she decided to partake in the penultimate human pastime: singing in the shower.

* * *

Ruby awoke to what she originally thought to be a songbird. The curtains were wide open, and Yang was swooping about the room, straightening up her belongings and dusting the sparse furniture. Ruby turned her head to better hear the music that emanated from the next room. It was as if an angel were singing, letting melodious notes flow from the heavens into Ruby's ears.

Yang noticed that she was awake and traced the centre of her attention. Quietly, she stepped over to Ruby's bed and placed a finger to her lips, signalling that she keep silent.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she whispered.

Ruby simply nodded in agreement, her eyes wide with wonder. Yang helped her down from the top bunk so as not to disturb the vocalist in the washroom. Ruby began to gather her belongings and clothes.

"Is it all right if I shower next?" she quietly asked her sister.

Yang nodded. "No problem."

Not long after, Weiss emerged from the washroom wrapped in a towel, still faintly humming the tune.

"Good morning, Weiss." Ruby greeted her.

"Good morning, Ruby." Weiss replied cheerfully.

As the two brushed past each other, Ruby caught the heiress's new scent.

"Weiss…" Ruby called out unconsciously.

"Yes, Ruby?" Weiss asked, kindly.

"You… You smell really nice." Ruby said, hanging her head to hide the deep scarlet blush that adorned her face.

Weiss turned a bit pink as well. "Thank you." She replied. The two parted ways, Ruby entering the bathroom and Weiss retrieving her clothes from the dresser.

* * *

Ruby stood underneath the shower head, letting the cold water hit her. Why had she acted so weird around Weiss? It wasn't like they hadn't known each other long, Weiss was her best friend. They slept together, ate together, trained together, and studied for their classes together. There was nothing between them to induce such awkwardness. It was just… Weiss had smelled...

So.

Darned.

Good.

Strawberries. Ruby loved strawberries. They were her favourite food, surpassing even cookies and various pastries. And her singing, oh Goddess her singing. It was more beautiful than Ruby could have ever imagined. A chorus of angels would have turned green with envy to hear Weiss sing.

Ruby pushed the thought from her mind and reached for her bottle of shampoo, still resting next to Weiss's. Ruby stopped for a moment. A devious smile crept across her face. So Weiss was going to trip her up by using her shampoo, huh? Well two could play at that game.

* * *

Weiss was busy making her bed when Ruby entered the room, wrapped in a towel of her own that bore the red Rose family crest. She was careful to brush past Weiss a second time so that she could smell her new, stolen fragrance. Weiss blushed when she detected the vanilla-peppermint blend that she had grown so fond of, but said nothing. She simply continued to make her bed, taking care to tuck each corner carefully. She stepped back to gaze upon her handiwork. Perfect. No wrinkles.

Yang had finished making her bed and was strapping her Ember Celica to her wrists.

"Alright, girls," she called, "I'm running out to get a bite to eat. I'll be running errands until noon, so you probably won't see me until lunch. Play nice, stay safe, and come find me or Blake before you run off and do something crazy. And Ruby?"

"Yeah, sis?" Ruby replied, now fully dressed.

"Be sure to thank Weiss for making your bed for you." Yang smirked.

Ruby looked up. Her bed had indeed been made with perfect hospital corners.

"Alright, _Dad._" She snapped, sticking her tongue out as Yang left. "Thank you, Weiss." She added in a kinder tone.

"It was no trouble." Weiss said, smiling.

"So what have you got planned for today?" Ruby asked.

"I'm going to do some window shopping. I haven't spent any real money in a while." Weiss said. She paused for a moment, looking contemplative. "That sounded really arrogant, didn't it?" she asked.

"A little." Ruby answered, demonstrating the small amount with her thumb and forefinger.

"Oh well, I suppose it comes with being wealthy. Mother was never very good about teaching me to be humble. Would you care to accompany me, Ruby?" Weiss asked.

"I'd like that." Ruby replied.


	2. Chapter Two: Shopping Spree

**Author's Note: This one is a little longer. I can't decide if that's good or bad, so I just put in a page break and called it good. Something I forgot to mention- This is rated T for the time being. It's subject to change. The T is mostly because the shipping is slightly more serious, and the adventure portions may be rather violent. If this changes, it'll probably go up to M, but it will be because of violence. I currently have no plans to make this a lemon. I'm getting mixed reviews on Weiss. Hopefully this chapter clears a little bit of it up, but don't worry; she still has a bite to her, I just haven't gotten there yet. Enjoy!**

Over the months, Ruby and Weiss had grown much closer than their first meeting. After her talk with Professor Port, Weiss was committed to becoming the absolute best partner in all of Beacon. She trained tirelessly with Ruby, making certain that the younger girl could keep herself safe from any attack. After battle, she'd heal her wounds, showing Ruby how to tend to each type of battle damage to ensure that she could take care of herself should the need arise. Even after all of that, she never left the red-hooded girl's side unless ordered to, serving as her personal protector during battle. But most of all, she was Ruby's companion.

Although Ruby didn't have any trouble making new friends, she was hesitant to confide in people, and had a tendency to internalize her problems. Weiss was there when no one else could see past her façade. Weiss knew full and well that Ruby didn't have any plans for the day, and was dead set that Ruby would go with her, whether she liked it or not. Her agreeability simply made things easier for Weiss.

They passed various shops, sometimes stopping to peer into windows if Weiss spotted a particularly magnificent dress or some spectacular piece of furniture. Sometimes she would have to drag Ruby down the sidewalk a ways when they passed a bakery. Eventually, they reached a jewellery shop at the end of the street. Weiss was eyeing a tiara on display, wondering at its delicately-cut teardrop sapphires. Something else, however, drew Ruby's attention.

Weiss traced her line of sight to a small display in the centre of the bottom shelf. It was a necklace. To the casual observer, it would seem very plain, but Weiss's educated eye saw that it was merely minimalistic. It was really quite beautiful in its simplicity, really. It was a silver figure of a cross, suspended on a polished steel chain. The cross was engraved with a few wispy threads of ruby red dust, and was adorned with a small ruby for every point. The chain was laced with a kind of dust-based fiberglass in little threads, completing the ensemble. It truly was both simple and beautiful, and Ruby seemed to be fixated on it. Her eyes were misty and faraway, as if she wasn't really looking at the necklace at all.

"R-Ruby?" Weiss asked tentatively. She didn't respond. "Ruby?" Weiss grabbed Ruby's face and gently turned it to make eye contact. What she was met with surprised her. Ruby's eyes were pools of quivering silver. She was obviously holding back tears.

"Ruby, you need to tell me what's wrong. You're worrying me." Weiss said, concerned.

"I'm sorry Weiss," Ruby sniffed, "It's just… it reminds me of my mother." She took a deep breath, "My mother always had this cross necklace," she indicated a cross hung around her neck that was tucked into her shirt, "it was her great-grandmother's. She said she was going to give it to me when she got a new one. She had her eye on one exactly like this. She just needed a little more money. We were saving up from money we made at the market. We'd almost had enough, but it was a hard winter. Every time we thought we'd finally be able to buy it, something would happen. The roof would cave in, or I would get sick. We'd have to take money out of our savings to solve the problem. We were always just a little bit short." Ruby glanced wistfully at the necklace again, remembering her childhood fixation.

"One day, I met a man in the woods," she continued, "He was really nice to me, gave me something to eat. He let me help him cut firewood, and he paid me afterwards. He was one of the nicest men I had ever met. 'Run along' he told me, 'Take this bread to your mother and give her the money. I know how hard times can be out here.' I thanked him and ran home. The money he had given me was just enough to buy the necklace and still have money for emergencies. I was going to buy the necklace myself and give it to her for Christmas. I was so excited." The corners of Ruby's mouth twitched, bringing a small smile to her face as she remembered her childhood euphoria. "When I got back… it was too late. There were Beowolves everywhere. We lived in a dangerous part of the country, but we had never seen anything too dangerous. The woodsmen usually kept the area clear. My mother was holding her own well, but there were just too many of them." Ruby's voice was cracking a bit as she choked back tears, "She carried a small knife, and she didn't have the range to take on twenty of them at once. I was too young to help her at the time. I didn't have any combat training, and this was long before I built the Crescent Rose. All I could do was stand and watch. There… there wasn't much of her left to bury. I moved in with my uncle and learned to defend myself. Yang took care of me at school, we had the same dad. I vowed to my mother that I would become a Huntress to avenge her death."

Weiss was stunned. "Ruby," she began, "I'm so sorry. I didn't… I didn't know."

"It's okay, Weiss." Ruby responded, "She's in a better place now. But as a little girl, I always thought 'If I hadn't gotten sick, if I hadn't broken my ankle playing in the woods, if I didn't have such a sweet tooth; if I had just been able to get her that necklace, this wouldn't have happened.' I know that's silly, and it doesn't make a lot of sense, but I was just a kid. It just… caught me off guard to see it again, that's all." She lowered her head slightly to stare at the sidewalk. Despite her efforts to the contrary, two solitary tears dropped from her eyes.

Weiss looked into her partner's face, and saw something new in her. Instead of a bubbly, friendly student, she saw a scarred daughter. Instead of a fierce warrior, she saw a scared little girl. Instead of the infectious excitement that normally manifested itself in Ruby's eyes, Weiss saw her own heart break. "That's it." She said.

"Huh?" Ruby asked in confusion, sniffling slightly.

"I said that's it. My mind is made up." Weiss said, reaching into her purse, "I'm buying you that necklace."

"Oh no, Weiss, I couldn't." Ruby protested.

"I insist." Said Weiss, dismissing her protests with a wave of her hand.

"But it's so expensive. I couldn't ask you to-"

"Ruby Rose," Weiss interrupted sternly, "don't you _dare _put a price tag on our friendship. I am buying you that necklace because I want to, regardless of how expensive it is. You are worth every penny."

Ruby opened her mouth to protest further, but thought better of it when she saw the look in her partner's eyes. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Weiss's neck, gently hugging her.

"Thank you, Weiss."

The two emerged from the shop a few minutes later, Ruby now wearing the necklace that had so entranced her and her mother. The clock chimed overhead. Eleven thirty.

"Should we go meet the others for lunch?" Weiss asked.

"Sure," said Ruby, "I have jewellery to flaunt in Yang's face."

When they arrived in the mess hall, Blake and Yang were already sitting opposite each other at a table. Ruby couldn't tell for sure, but it looked like they might have been holding hands across the table. When the two saw Ruby and Weiss approaching, they quickly brought their hands to their sides. Weiss and Ruby shot each other a meaningful look and smirked slightly. It was common knowledge that Blake and Yang spent far too much time together to be considered "just friends". It was becoming a school joke that they pretended to know nothing about it.

"Hello, girls." Weiss said.

"Hey there, Weiss." Yang responded cheerfully, a look of forced nonchalance plastered to her face.

Ruby took a seat next to her sister, while Weiss took her place next to Blake.

"So what have you been up to?" Ruby asked her sister, ladling beef stew onto her plate.

"Oh, you know, this and that." The blonde evaded, "Various errands. I had to pick up some parts for my gauntlets, ran into Blake a few times-"

"Probably face first." Ruby muttered, earning a giggle from Weiss and a blush from Blake.

"What was that?" Yang asked.

"Oh, nothing sis. Just clearing my throat." Ruby lied.

"So what have you girls been doing?" Yang asked, changing the subject.

Ruby puffed out her chest and swept her hair back to show off her new accessory.

"We've been shopping." She boasted.

Yang gasped at the sight of the precious metal. "Is that the one that your mother…" she trailed off, unsure if she should finish.

Ruby smiled and nodded proudly.

"How could you afford it?" Yang asked.

"Weiss bought it for me." Ruby answered.

"Really?" Yang said, barely masking her surprise, "That was… nice of her."

Weiss merely offered a small smile in response.

"So what are the plans for after lunch?" Blake asked, surreptitiously sipping at a glass of milk.

"I was planning on getting some work done in the training room." Weiss replied.

"Seriously? I was heading there too!" said Yang excitedly, "We could all go and practice together!"

"That's a great idea." Ruby agreed, catching some of her sister's energy.

"Pass." Said Blake.

They all turned to look at her.

"I have some reading to do." She explained.

"Didn't you get enough done this morning?" Weiss asked suspiciously.

"I was… interrupted." Blake said blushing. Ruby and Weiss traded sideways glances.

"Looks like it's just you, me, and the lil' sis!" Yang said.

"Hmm…" Weiss said, scrutinizing the sisters, "I'll have to think of something special for you two." She delicately speared a chunk of beef with her fork and put it into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully.

Yang and Ruby looked nervously at each other.


	3. Chapter Three: Things Heat Up

**Howdy, boys and girls! Frosted Petals is back after a long Thanksgiving break. Thanks for bearing with me as I worked out the kinks in this chapter and was generally lazy all week. Special thanks to Gear001 for editing this for me. As such, I would like to credit him directly for any sentences in particular that don't suck.**

* * *

Something special indeed.

Weiss was taking on both girls at once, and showed no signs of backing down.

Both girls were charging at her full force, this time attempting a full frontal assault. This was their fifth strategy, having exhausted most of their less direct approaches in the last hour. Ruby was using her semblance to change directions randomly mid-charge. She hoped to catch Weiss off guard by constantly moving at incredible speeds, randomizing the locations of her attacks. Unfortunately, her "random" attacks were entirely predictably to Weiss, having seen her fight multiple times. Every swing with the Crescent Rose was blocked by Myrtenaster with grace and ease.

Meanwhile Yang was utilizing semblance to strengthen the impact of her punches. Rather than Ruby's quick, multiple strikes, she was focused on building up energy for huge punches. Her aura flickered around her like golden fire, and each punch created a shockwave that shook the combat room. Regardless, the slowness of her attacks made her entirely blockable, which actually turned the kickback of the Ember Celica against her, as each blocked strike would hurtle her backwards.

The two sisters nodded to each other, trying for one last charge. Yang came up the left, fist cocked for a huge hit. Ruby came up the right, seeming to disappear and reappear randomly as she sprinted in for another swing of her scythe. Weiss was trapped between them, positioned for a perfect sandwich of pain.

In response, Weiss flicked her wrists in either girl's directions. Two glyphs flickered into existence out of thin air, creating a barriers between Weiss and her opponents.

One of them was an angry red color, and the larger of the two. It blocked Yang's path to Weiss directly, giving her no time to stop or change direction. She had no choice but to aim her punch directly at the barrier and hope for the best. The combined force of her semblance and the impact from her gauntlets was enough to shatter the glyph, but not before she hit it like a brick wall. The blond fighter was knocked onto her back, stunning her.

The other glyph, a light blue one of smaller diameter, stayed closer to Weiss, waiting for an opportunity to fulfil its purpose. Ruby appeared in thin air just above her, raising her Crescent Rose high above her head, ready to strike. The glyph changed position to accommodate for its target. It was too late now. Ruby was at gravity's mercy. She came down hard with her scythe, but never actually reached Weiss. The crescent rose stuck fast in the glyph, buying Weiss enough time to swing her rapier upward and encase Ruby in ice.

The young girl hit the floor and shattered her prison.

"Ouch," She muttered, sitting up from the impact.

"I think that's probably enough for today, girls," Weiss said, helping her teammates up.

"I'll say," Yang sighed, dusting herself off, "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"'Mommy and Daddy' don't let the heiress become a huntress until they're sure she's going to be the best of the best." Weiss replied bittersweetly.

Yang nodded sagely and scratched the back of her head. "Well, your teachers did a good job."

"Yes," Weiss agreed, "I suppose they did." She sheathed Myrtenaster and brushed off her skirt.

She looked up as Yang left to see Ruby still standing in front of her, fist clenched and a stony look of determination on her face. Weiss was caught off guard. She had expected to see a smile, those puppy-dog eyes, or even embarrassment at defeat. Instead, she was met with certainty, a primal urge to accomplish a goal. Whatever it was Ruby wanted, she wanted it bad.

"Can I help you, Ms. Rose?" she asked jokingly.

"Teach me." Ruby said simply, gesturing vaguely at at her partner.

"Excuse me?"

"I want you to teach me to fight. Show me how to be as good at it as you." Ruby explained.

A smile broke out across Weiss's face. "I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

"No, no, no. Your stance is all wrong. I could knock you over in a heartbeat." Weiss chastised, moving to correct her partner.

They had been at it for hours. Ruby had finally landed a few hits on Weiss by changing directions mid-charge, but was quickly flung across the room every time. The cloaked girl didn't seem to be phased at all, though. She was just as smiley and bubbly as when they had started after lunch, albeit with a few added bruises.

Weiss put a hand on Ruby's thigh and moved her leg slightly.

"You want one leg back," she explained, "so you can shift your weight onto it. That way, if someone pushes you, gravity becomes your ally instead of your enemy."

Ruby shifted her weight a little to accommodate for her new stance. Weiss placed her other hand on Ruby's chest, pushing on her upper body.

"Stand up straighter," she commanded, "If you're hunched over, you could seriously injure yourself. I'd hate for someone to hit the top of your head or damage your spine."

"O- Okay." Ruby stuttered, turning a little red as she followed Weiss' lead.

"See, that's much better. It was all too easy to knock you back before. This way, you've established crumple zones to lessen your impact."

"Um.. Weiss?" Ruby interrupted, even redder now.

Weiss ignored her and continued to talk. She began to gesture with her hands as she explained the various points of weakness Ruby's stance held, and which ways she should defend them. Gradually, their resting places drifted, until eventually she was holding Ruby by her breasts and groin.

"W-Weiss!" Ruby exclaimed.

"What is it, Ruby?" Weiss asked, obviously annoyed at being interrupted.

A small click interrupted Ruby's response. The door to the combat room had opened. It was Yang.

"Well, well, well," the blonde giggled, "I was going to tell you two that it was almost dinnertime, but I think I may have interrupted something. I'll just leave you to it then."

Weiss quickly took her hands off of Ruby, blushing furiously. "Wait, Yang!" she called frantically, "It's not what you think! I was just showing Ruby how to-" but it was too late. Yang had already left, trickling laughter down the hall behind her. Weiss growled and stomped her foot in frustration. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to face Ruby.

"Don't worry about her, Weiss," Ruby advised, speaking from the experience of being the wily girl's younger sister, "She's just teasing."

Weiss sighed and shook her head. "I suppose you're right."

"Come on," Ruby motioned towards the door. "Let's go get some dinner."

With that the pair collected their things and made their way to the dining hall, their tired stomachs eager for a late meal.

* * *

After an uneventful dinner, team RWBY retired to their dorm room. Yang excused herself to "Get some fresh air," which Ruby assumed meant "Go to the club." Blake followed suit, deciding to hit the showers before bed. Following their example, Weiss stood and readied herself to leave..

"I am going to the library to study," she announced simply.

"Weiss, wait!" Ruby snapped quickly, dropping down from her bunk. Weiss looked back at her partner with a raised eyebrow.

"What's wrong Ruby?" Weiss asked, a flash of concern rushing over her features.

"Weiss, I… I just wanted to... …to thank you," Ruby began, "for today. I know I get on your nerves sometimes and I just wanted you to know I appreciate the time you're willing to spend with me... I really enjoy it..."

Weiss smiled slightly, losing a bit of her regal composure. "You're quite welcome, Ruby dear. I... quite enjoyed myself as well."

Ruby grinned. Launching herself at her partner, Ruby squeezed her midsection with a crushing hug. Weiss gasped in surprise and stiffened like a board. Ruby, however, didn't seem to show any signs of letting go. Finally, Weiss relaxed her muscles and returned the embrace. After several moments, Ruby let go and backed up a step.

"Have fun studying!" she said.

Weiss cleared her throat and straightened her posture, reaching for the door handle. "Right."

With that, Weiss stepped out into the hallway, a tight squeezing in her chest. Confused by the sudden buzz of emotions in her head she decided to push them to the side, clearing her mind for the studying she needed to do once she reached the library.


	4. Chapter Four: Heart-to-Heart

It was just Ruby and Blake in the room now, that is, when the shadowy girl finally returned from the restroom. Dead silence enveloped them as Blake read her book, while Ruby finished an essay for Professor Oobleck. Finally, Ruby finished and stared at the ceiling for a while. She looked over at Blake, who was still lost in her own world.

She had to talk to Blake eventually. However, that simple task was more harrowing than the statement made it out to be. The faunus was a recluse, a quiet one; getting her to talk about anything was like doing dental work on an Ursa. Ruby cocked her head to the side before an idea came to mind.

She liked books, Blake liked books.

The plan should totally work.

"Now is as good a time as any, I suppose," she muttered to herself. She had to talk to Blake eventually. Ruby climbed up on to the bottom bunk of Yang and Blake's bed and snuggled up to the Faunus.

"Blake, will you read to me?"

Blake was surprised at the human contact. Trapped in the world of her books, she wasn't used to being interrupted by actual people. She was even less accustomed to people touching her, especially while she was reading. As antisocial as she was, it was uncommon that any of her activities were interrupted, including her most sacred ritual of literature. Somehow, though, she wasn't angry. No one could really be angry with Ruby except for Weiss, and even she was susceptible to the bright pools of innocence that Ruby would play up to get her way. She stammered a response to the sudden question. "Um… well, I don't usually..."

"Please?" Ruby asked, "For me?"

Blake took one look at Ruby's trademark puppy-dog pout and immediately caved. "Oh, all right. But just this once."

Blake began on page one so as not to confuse Ruby; she had only just started it anyway. The book was the story of a noir detective who was secretly a vigilante monster hunter, taking open cases of a strange or supernatural nature and then dispensing his own justice to the mythical creature or superhuman responsible so the public wouldn't find out about them. Naturally, there was a girl involved, a beautiful young woman who discovered the detective's line of work and helped him solve crimes, inevitably springing some kind of trap and becoming the damsel in distress. She read out loud for an hour and a half, blushing and stammering when the romance scenes got too steamy. When she reached the end of the chapter, the room fell into a quiet tension. Neither girl knew exactly how to address the other.

"Thank you," Ruby said drowsily, snuggling up to the Faunus. She was tired now, and had almost forgotten why she had crawled into bed with Blake in the first place.

"You're welcome, Ruby." Blake responded, "I actually kind of enjoyed that."

"Me too." Ruby said, smiling.

Another few seconds passed as Ruby slowly became aware that she would have to make her purpose clear. Blake sat in uncomfortable silence, her smile fading as she tried not to think about the fact that she was alone with her girlfriend's little sister, but unable to speak about their relationship. Finally, Ruby broke the silence with a question.

"Blake, what's going on between you and Yang?"

Blake was mortified. Completely oblivious to Weiss and Ruby's smirks and double entendres, Blake had no idea that her teammates had caught on to her relationship with Yang. Her ears twitched embarrassedly as her mind raced to come up with a stammered response. Her face burned, her breath quickened. She knew the day would come that she would have to explain their relationship to Yang's little sister, but she had hoped it wouldn't be this soon. She was banking on her girlfriend being a little more subtle, a foolish mistake to be sure.

"Well Ruby... your sister and I... we're... we're dating," Blake mumbled out, looking off to the side trying to hide her embarrassed blush. She could tell from the sympathetic smile Ruby gave her that it wasn't working.

"Yes," Ruby reassured, prompting her to continue.

"Well… Yang and I love each other very much. She makes me… happy." She answered, deciding that directness was the best option.

"Good," Ruby replied, placing a reassuring hand on Blake's shoulder, "That makes me happy. Not just because you make my sister happy, but because that means I could get a kitty cat for a sister-in-law," she explained, pawing playfully at the air like a kitten.

Blake blushed deeply, grinning with amusement at Ruby's antics. "We'll see."

Ruby switched to a more serious tone, pulling back her hands to rest them on Blake's forearm. She snuggled up closer to the faunus and whispered gently. "I just want you to know you don't have to hide from me and Weiss. We're your teammates. We'll support you."

"Thank you," Blake said, surprised at Ruby's maturity.

"You're welcome," Ruby smiled, pulling back to look at the shadowy girl. "Just know," Ruby continued, boping Blake one the nose with an index finger, "that if you ever leave again, or hurt my sister in any way, I will hunt you down and make certain you never taste tuna again."

Blake smiled at the over-protective little sister. She looked so serious it was actually cuter than it was intimidating. "Understood," she laughed.

"Good," Ruby responded, dragging herself from the other girl's warmth. She placed a kiss on the Faunus girl's forehead. "I'm going to bed. Weiss' workout totally wiped me out," she yawned, hopping up onto her bed. There was a small creak as the haphazard ropes were strained. After a moment Ruby's head popped back out to look down at the resting Blake. "Sweet dreams, future sis."

"You too... sis." Blake said. Her words were a song in her heart. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all.

* * *

Yang returned to the dorm to find Ruby asleep in her bed and Blake reading her romance novel.

"Lil' squirt passed out already?" Yang whispered jokingly, as she took off her gauntlets and placed them on her dresser.

"She's had a big day," Blake responded, carefully marking her place and putting her book down.

"I'll say she has," Yang giggled, now changing into her pyjamas.

"Oh?" Blake asked, raising an eyebrow as she climbed from her bunk into Yang's bed.

"I caught the Heiress groping my little sister in the combat room," Yang explained, "They couldn't keep their hands off each other."

"Is that so?" Blake purred.

Yang sidled up to her Faunus friend, joining her in the top bunk.

"She's taking after her sister, I suppose," she said slyly, giving her lover a peck on the lips. Blake pulled back just a bit and rested her forehead against Yang's, taking in the blonde's warmth. The Faunus flinched briefly as the brawler's strong arms wrapped around her, the pleasurable tremble down her spine unintentionally relaxing her. She sucked in a reassuring breath before speaking.

"Ruby… she knows about us," Blake confessed.

Yang's face turned very serious. "Did you…?"

Blake shook her head. "I didn't tell her. She figured it out on her own. And she handled it very maturely, I thought."

"What did she do?" Yang asked curiously.

"She listened to my side of the story before making any assumptions, and pledged her full support to whatever makes us happy." She giggled a bit before continuing, "I'll have to watch my step with you, though. The slightest indication that I've broken your heart, and I'm off the catnip for good." She emphasized the point by drawing a line across her throat with her finger.

"Ruby threatened you?" Yang asked, shocked.

"Not directly. But it's an interesting thought, isn't it?" Blake commented. "I think that's your job as the older sister, correct?"

Yang nodded. She had threatened many boys in her time. Most of them turned out to be just friends, but you could never be too careful with Ruby. She didn't cope with loss well, a result of the gruesome events that tarnished her childhood.

"That still doesn't seem like her. Ruby is always so cheerful and excited. I couldn't imagine her ever threatening anyone." Yang said.

"She loves you a lot," Blake explained, "Do you know what she asked me to do earlier? She wanted me to read to her."

"So?" Yang asked, confused as to the point Blake was making.

"Do you remember the first thing she said when we met?" Blake asked. The blonde thought for a moment, then shook her head in response. Blake craned her neck and smiled whimsically before roughly imitating Ruby's younger voice, "'Yang used to read to me every night before bed.' You were what inspired her to become a huntress in the first place. I think you're more important to her than she lets on."

Yang digested this information. "Are you saying," she asked slowly, "that Ruby thinks I'm a sort of… surrogate mother?"

Blake nodded sagely. She spoke slowly, working out the details of her train of thought as she went. "It might not go that far... but in any case, I think you impacted her more than you realize. With her mother gone, you were the only female model for her. You read to her, cared for her, gave her advice, made her feel safe." Blake paused for a moment to choose her next words. "Ruby wants to make sure the woman she looks up to most is safe. She can't watch another woman she looks up to get hurt."

"Wow." Yang whispered, "I had no idea. No wonder she was so protective. I mean, I would be too, but still…"

"I wouldn't worry about it, sweetie," Blake said in a soothing voice, "Ruby is my friend. Her threat is only valid if I do something to jeopardize that friendship. And I promise, I will never do anything to hurt you, so you don't have to worry about it."

This calmed Yang down a bit. "I suppose you're right. We don't have much to worry about her, now that she's asleep."

They cast a glance at the top bunk of the opposing bed. Ruby lay there, curled into a ball. She must have been dreaming of something wonderful, as there was a huge grin on her face. Or maybe she was just being Ruby.

"She's like a little angel, isn't she?" Blake commented.

"Yeah, but she's nowhere as cute as my little kitty." Yang said, squeezing her girlfriend tightly.

Blake sighed internally. Ever since they started dating, Yang persisted that Blake was "her kitty cat". Blake wasn't entirely offended by this, but it was definitely somewhat degrading. She was sure Yang wasn't trying to be derogatory, but nevertheless, being the near-inanimate object of the blonde girl's affections wasn't her favourite activity.

"Yang, for the millionth time, I am not a cat. I am a Faunus that just so happens to have cat ears." Blake protested.

"You're a kitty cat, and I can prove it." Yang teased, scratching her between the ears.

Blake let out an involuntary mewl. "That proves nothing," she snapped, a blush quickly wrapping her features. "If anyone is any sort of animal here, you're a puppy."

"Arf!" Yang exclaimed happily, licking Blake's face.

"Ew! Stop it Yang, that's so gross!" Blake giggled, wiping her face of saliva, and with it, all seriousness.

"What's wrong? Kitty doesn't like a tongue bath?" Yang teased.

"No. Definitely not. Kitty likes to cuddle," Blake said, giving in to Yang's fantasy.

Yang pulled Blake into an even tighter embrace, squishing her head into her breasts. "Good," she remarked, "I always wanted a kitty to cuddle."

Blake sighed as she resigned herself to Yang's smothering. At least they're soft. She thought, as she closed her eyes and fell asleep with her head on Yang's chest.


	5. Chapter Five: Confessions

Meanwhile, Weiss was still in the library, trying to study. She was doing a report on combat-wear throughout history, but she wasn't getting very far with it. With every sentence, she'd find herself staring into space for a few minutes, daydreaming.

She inhaled sharply as she turned the page in her textbook, revealing a diagram of a particularly skimpy combat dress. The caption read "This unique style of dress allowed huntresses maximum mobility in battle due to its tight material and lack of coverage on major joints and ligaments." _Mobility yes, but modesty? Not at all_, Weiss thought, gazing at the uniform, _There's barely any coverage at all, the huntress might as well be wearing a swimsuit to the fight. Who would ever wear something so revealing in public, let alone in battle?_ Then, a more sinister thought struck her. _I'd like to see Ruby try that one on._

She smiled slightly, letting her imagination fill in the gaps, painting a sensual portrait of Ruby wearing the practically nonexistent clothing. She stopped herself and shook her head wildly. These thoughts had been tormenting for the last hour. Why couldn't she stop thinking about Ruby? It wasn't as if anything had changed between them recently.

_But things have changed,_ Weiss reminded herself._ Ruby and I are much more of a team now than we have ever been in the past._ She remembered their first meeting, when Ruby had bumped into her, making her drop dust. I was terrible to her for days because of that. Was it really such a big deal? Nobody was hurt, it was an honest mistake.

Weiss started to beat herself up for the hundredth time that night. Regret had always been her strong suit, so it was no surprise that as soon as her thoughts turned to Ruby, she was regretting all the terrible things that she had ever said or done to her. Her face grew hot, causing her eyes to water slightly. Her chest tightened, and her breathing became labored. Her stomach turned to lead, causing a horrible, nauseous, sinking feeling in her gut as she painfully relived every moment that she had hurt Ruby.

_But things have changed_, Weiss reiterated, trying to rationalize herself. _Our relationship is different now._ She remembered every time that Ruby had been hurt, and she had to wrap the younger girl's wounds. She recalled every time that she had made Ruby coffee, or been woken up by a friendly shake, ensuring that her habit of oversleeping wouldn't make her late for class. She remembered the countless hours spent in the training room, honing the prodigy's skills with the Crescent Rose. Things have changed tremendously since our first meeting. Weiss smiled. And I wouldn't have them any other way.

Weiss shut the textbook she was reading, placed it back in its spot on the shelf, and gathered her things. Briskly walking up the stairs and down the hallway, Weiss set off for her dorm. As she neared Team JNPR's room, she passed Ren.

"Hello, Weiss," he addressed her in his signature quiet voice.

"Hello, Ren," she responded politely.

"Got somewhere to be?" he asked.

Weiss stopped in her tracks. "Whatever do you mean?"

"You were practically jogging." Ren explained, looking her up and down suspiciously.

Weiss realized that she had gone much farther than she anticipated in the time since she had left the library. She tried to even her breathing to cover up the fact that she was panting for air. "Um… well, you know. I was really tired. Wanted to get to bed early, you know," she lied. "Wait, why are you up?"

"The night has just begun," he replied simply, looking absently up at the moon through a nearby window. "I'd hate to waste any precious time sleeping. Sweet dreams."

Weiss blinked twice. "You too, I suppose."

Ren simply raised a hand in farewell and disappeared into the darkness.

* * *

When Weiss entered the dorm room, it was dead silent. The only light was coming from Yang's bedside lamp and the moon through the window. In its glare, Weiss could see Yang and Blake coddled up together in the former's bunk, having fallen asleep together. Weiss quietly flicked the lamp off, hiding the snuggling duo it had previously illuminated. She smirked. They weren't trying very hard to hide it anymore. She moved to her own bed, and found Ruby asleep in the top bunk. She was curled up in the fetal position, wrapped tightly in a blanket like a newborn baby.

Weiss smiled and stood on her tiptoes to brush a strand of hair out of Ruby's face.

"Good night, Ruby," she whispered.

Ruby shifted in her sleep, revealing that she was holding her necklace with white-knuckled fierceness. Weiss gingerly unhitched the chain in the back, and attempted to pry the cross from her teammate's fingers.

"No… mine…" Ruby mumbled, gripping it even tighter.

"You need to let it go, Ruby. You might choke in your sleep or break the chain." Weiss whispered.

Ruby didn't seem to be listening. Weiss realized that she was probably still asleep. Weiss again attempted to retrieve the necklace from Ruby's palm.

"No! No… Weiss gave me that!" she cried as the cross slipped from her clenched fist.

Weiss cringed a little at that last sentence. It hurt to have to be the "bad guy" in Ruby's dream, but she was also a little proud for having given Ruby the treasured object. She hung the necklace on the post closest to her on the bed's headboard. As she moved to get in her own bed, Ruby lashed out and grabbed her wrist.

"Weiss?" she mumbled. She had opened her eyes, but was still half asleep.

Weiss cupped Ruby's face with her free hand, smoothing back the girl's bangs with her thumb.

"Shh…. It was just a dream, Ruby," she said, attempting to stop her shaking, "You need to go to sleep."

Ruby continued to shake and quiver for several seconds before finally becoming aware of her surroundings and calming down. Weiss slowly attempted to pull away from the younger girl, but the grip on her left hand was like a vice.

"Stay with me?" Ruby whispered. Her voice was full of fear, as if she were afraid to ask the question.

Weiss hesitated, looking into the puppy dog eyes Ruby was presenting her with. The offer was tempting to be sure, but she knew she couldn't take it. Even if she and Ruby became something… more, Yang would surely flay her alive if she awoke to find her in Ruby's bed. Instead, on a whim, Weiss decided on a consolation prize.

"Not tonight," she whispered back, pressing her lips to Ruby's forehead in a gentle goodnight kiss, "but I'll be right down here if you need me." She withdrew to the lower bunk and slipped under the covers. She lay in darkness while sleep evaded her for several minutes before Ruby broke the silence.

"Weiss?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

Weiss' heart skipped a beat.

Her breath was stolen, and all she could hope to do was lie completely still and process the information.

Dare she reply? How exactly did she really feel about Ruby? Her thoughts from the library came flooding back. Ruby was definitely incredibly important to her, more so than she would ever care to admit to anyone. They had been friends for quite some time, at least a lot longer than any other friend Weiss had ever had.

Ruby had opened up to her, confided in her when she didn't trust anyone else. Most of all, Weiss was attached to her. Her head was full of a thousand echoing voices, each of them giving different advice. She was paralyzed with confusion and emotion.

Then, one little voice rose up amidst all her louder thoughts, and gave its own unique suggestion.

Weiss took it.

"I love you too."

* * *

**Well, there you have it, folks. Chapter 5 of Frosted Petals. If you're trying to keep track of plot progression, I consider this to be the end of "Part 1" in my head. It's fitting that the end of the first section comes here, because this is the last story that my editor, Gear001 will work on. He needs to take some time off to work on some more personal matters, and he no longer has time to help me in addition to writing on his own work. I'd like to thank him for all he's done with FP, it definitely wouldn't be half of what it is without his suggestions!**

**On a different note, I'm beginning to realize that this "Chapter a week" idea may be a little too ambitious. I'm a lot busier this year than I thought I would be, and FP can't take up as much of my time as I'd like it to. Don't worry, I'll still be working on updates, but not as fast as I'd like to.**

**As always, thank you for reading! Suggestions are always welcome.**


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